The present invention relates to a novel internal combustion engine design to reduce the length of engines with a large number of cylinders.
For both alternate mass balancing and more strictly thermodynamic reasons, high performance engines normally present a large number of cylinders, typically twelve or sixteen. As opposed to being arranged in-line as in the past, the cylinders are now arranged in a V composed of two lines or banks of six or eight side by side in-line cylinders converging in a V towards an ideal apex consisting of the drive shaft or crankshaft. Typically, the crankshaft is located at the bottom with the oil sump to catch the oil by gravity, and at the top the opposite ends of the diverging cylinders in the two banks are connected to two heads--one for each bank--with the timing systems and members.
A major drawback of the above designs is the considerable size involved both lengthwise, on account of the side by side arrangement of a large number of cylinders in one line or bank, and vertically, due to the presence of the supply members, particularly the intake and exhaust manifolds and engine valve control systems.